Good luck with that sks. I could never get an optic to last, but that was many years ago. That is still one of my all time favorite guns. The ak is down grade.
Back into Reloading......
- Thread starter bigboreblr
- Start date
b116757
5 year old buck +
Weather permitting I’m planning on shooting my 300 PRC some this weekend probably just here at the house. This home range is short only going out to 385yds enough to have a little fun and very handy for load development. I have 12’ covered storage down both sides of my garage my shooting bench at the house lives under one of them very loud with the steel roof overhead so hearing protection is a must but has made for some very enjoyable shooting sessions. My shooting benches are poured concrete tops this one I even colored the concrete.
Attachments
Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
I’m very jealous!
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
You put up the wooden latttice underneath the steel it'll quiet it down some. sound baffles.
From one corner of the property to another is easily 200 yards. However, neighbors complainng and houses here n there, I only have a 25 yard range. Great offhand shooting practice with a 22. I shoot those candy machine rubber balls for bench practice.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
I'd say that is about as solid as it gets. Nice.
b116757
5 year old buck +
I’ve built several of those shooting benches over the years. I’ve got 5 that I use one at the house, one on the new farm, 3 at my 1000yd range on the other farm and have given them away as gifts. I made the mold to pour the tops out of white melamine and probable have gotten10-12 pours out of the mold before it really started getting in poor shape. If I build anymore of them I may need to build a new mold. I’ve even done a couple with poured concrete legs but I really prefer my welded leg system.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
Nice benches. At a sportsman's club I belonged to.....we owned a rifle range for it's members. We had built a poured concrete structure with an overhead roof that was open on the side that faced the targets. We had 8 shooting benches. The structure was good....but the original benches were wobbly. So... we replaced them. I had a local welding shop fabricate some steel table bases that were very well built and welded together. we put thick plywood tops on them and coated them with epoxy. We used large anchors to fix them solid to the concrete floor. We had one with a concrete top. Ranges to 300 yards.....and I always thought the wood tops were more than "adequate" for our purposes. Mostly hunting rifle zeroing, etc.
I moved away from the area and miss that range. Was great for load development. I would prep cases and bring my powder and measure and bullet seater to the range. Play with different powder types and amounts and seating depths and bullets to find a load...while shooting thru a chrony.
I moved away from the area and miss that range. Was great for load development. I would prep cases and bring my powder and measure and bullet seater to the range. Play with different powder types and amounts and seating depths and bullets to find a load...while shooting thru a chrony.
Last edited:
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
Shooting lighter loads from a treestand with the gun pointing down, is there any issue? I know at the range some folks who shoot light loads like varget aim their gun up and easily let it down to keep the powder towards the primer.
Still playing with the quiet load at home idea.
Like those benches. I helped a friend make the molds for their kitchen countertops. Any concerns on scuffing guns, or put something overtop of it.
I'd make shooting rests for the guys at camp. Think this is the 2nd or 3rd or rd time someone burned one in the fire. Building one for the trailer and leaving it in there when I leave.
Speaking of shooting benches, anyone seen a hybird one? Like a 6ft picnic table with a shooting bench at the end? Maybe just widen the legs and the leave the tops of the table a little more open on the ends? Not a bunch of room between the cliff, the fire pit, and the cabin.
Still playing with the quiet load at home idea.
Like those benches. I helped a friend make the molds for their kitchen countertops. Any concerns on scuffing guns, or put something overtop of it.
I'd make shooting rests for the guys at camp. Think this is the 2nd or 3rd or rd time someone burned one in the fire. Building one for the trailer and leaving it in there when I leave.
Speaking of shooting benches, anyone seen a hybird one? Like a 6ft picnic table with a shooting bench at the end? Maybe just widen the legs and the leave the tops of the table a little more open on the ends? Not a bunch of room between the cliff, the fire pit, and the cabin.
Last edited:
b116757
5 year old buck +
One of my shooting partners has some concrete toped benches also but they are rough concrete not the crazy smooth like mine and he just uses the 3x5 rubber throw carpets like businesses use in front of exterior doors over the bench tops otherwise they tear up your elbows.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
I made three portable shooting benches a few years back. Gave one to each of my son-in-laws and kept one for myself. They fold up flat and can store easily in a truck. Would really make a great prairie dog bench when coupled with a stool or pail and seat top. I found some folding "saw horse legs" on Amazon and tried a pair. Designed my own wooden top for right hand shooters......and kept it compact yet rigid for portability. It works good out to maybe 300 yards or so for my purposes. I use it allot around home for setting up scopes, bore sighting, and cross bow shooting, etc.
After making one, I decided to gift one to each of those son in laws and their families whom live further away. They use them too. I use mine also as a portable work table.
I found a pic that is similar to my design....but it appears they dont offer the legs anymore?? Too bad....mine are rigid. I made a double thickness all around the perimeter which made for a very rigid top. Used 3/4" plywood....which provided 1.5" strength for the shooting bench purposes. Still very light weight. May have invested about $60 in each.
My idea was....sling your rifle over your shoulder, put this in one hand, and a 5 gallon pail in the other along with your ammo and some bags....maybe a water bottle. All you need to go on a PD shoot.
After making one, I decided to gift one to each of those son in laws and their families whom live further away. They use them too. I use mine also as a portable work table.
I found a pic that is similar to my design....but it appears they dont offer the legs anymore?? Too bad....mine are rigid. I made a double thickness all around the perimeter which made for a very rigid top. Used 3/4" plywood....which provided 1.5" strength for the shooting bench purposes. Still very light weight. May have invested about $60 in each.
My idea was....sling your rifle over your shoulder, put this in one hand, and a 5 gallon pail in the other along with your ammo and some bags....maybe a water bottle. All you need to go on a PD shoot.
Last edited:
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
I like that setup foggy. I shoot in a quarry when they're not working on the weekends. That would be perfect for it. Been using a small folding table with a bag of seed ontop of it as a rest.
You got a link to those table legs. I really like that kind. Cant find them on amazon.
You got a link to those table legs. I really like that kind. Cant find them on amazon.
Last edited:
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
I did a short search for the "Rugged Buddy" folding legs. Guys that had them on 24 hour campfire said they went out of biz. ??
That is what Amazon said to...."no longer available"
Here is some info if you want to search more:
Target Precision RB-H1034 Rugged Buddy 34-Inch Folding Sawhorse Legs for One Complete Sawhorse price
you're want to buy With these rugged, customized sawhorse legs from Target Precision, you can easily tailor a quality sawhorse to your speci...
tablesawreviewshere.blogspot.com
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
^ What is neat about those legs....is that (when opened) they "point" forward and backward about 20 degrees or so thus making the table quite solid. Also the locking mechanism is dang tight. Alas....I spent a little time looking for anyone that might offer them. Nope. A good product.....didn't make it. Read about lots of other guys like me who really liked this product for a shooting bench. Wonder what went wrong?
Back to the ironing board for the rest of you. grin.
Back to the ironing board for the rest of you. grin.
b116757
5 year old buck +
I bought two of these the other day and sighted them in yesterday I like them quite a bit they are a pretty good deal at that price.
b116757
5 year old buck +
I built a couple portable benches myself several years ago your leg system is way better than mine was I used galvanized 3/4” pipe legs splayed at a slight angle that had to be threaded on and off my tops where butcher block mable and walnut glued up. I gave one to my brother and kept one myself used it quite a bit until I started building the concrete ones. My leg system on the concrete ones has several extra diagonal braces welded into the frame that really adds to the stability of the benches takes out all the slight twisting motion from wind or bumping of the bench’s. There is an additional diagonal brace in the center that’s tough to see in this photo.
Attachments
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
cheated..........
son in law is a great enabler. Scooped up cci 34 primers and more 54 and 50 cal roundballs.
son in law is a great enabler. Scooped up cci 34 primers and more 54 and 50 cal roundballs.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
That looks like a great portable bench. Who makes it?
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
caldwell lite
b116757
5 year old buck +
My shooting buddy and I both have Caldwells also different versions that that one you have ours pivot in the center for shooting prairie dogs he has the plastic top model I have the wood top model I’m not sure I don’t prefer the lighter plastic model in all honesty just because of the weight and mine is really only for a right handed shooter his is ambidextrous.
Attachments
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
I have the original model of that bench....which was built by a guy out of Kansas. Name escapes me now.....Bob xxxxxx. The one I have is pretty heavy and not too portable actually. But it is as solid as a stone. I still use it at my range.....but I keep forgetting to grease that center pivot. I bet that dude is pretty rusty now.
Charlie Petty was a gun writer for Guns Magazine. I took him and a buncha other guys on a PD shoot to South Dakota. He was one huge guy....very over weight....and out of shape. He pretty much commanded that shooting bench all day so he could sit his fat butt down and shoot his pistols. Anyway....the bench was pretty much broken by the time he was done with it....and I had to re-weld it up to it's current shape today. Mine is likely 30 years old. Charlie Petty was REALLY good with a pistol. He would shoot better than Hickok 45....which is very good IMO.